It is desirable to find improved ways to supply syngas, which consists primarily of hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO), to a downstream processing plant, such as a FT GTL plant or the like, which converts the syngas into higher value liquid products, such as diesel fuel and gasoline in the case of a FT GTL plant. One way to generate syngas is to reform natural gas with an oxidant. Reforming the methane in the natural gas with steam produces a gas with a H2/CO ratio of about 3. However, the required H2/CO ratio in the syngas for a GTL conversion is about 2 or less. In order to achieve this lower H2/CO ratio, it is necessary to reform with CO2 in addition to the steam or water vapor. The CO2 can be obtained via purchase through a pipeline, if available. The CO2 can also be captured from the flue gas of a reforming furnace (reformer), but this is a rather costly means for obtaining the amount required.
The problem of generating a syngas with a H2/CO ratio of about 2 or less is currently solved using an “autothermal reforming” process, using steam and oxygen (O2) as the oxidants, or by reforming methane with steam and then removing part of the H2 by pressure swing absorption (PSA) to reduce the H2/CO ratio from about 3 down to about 2. Both of these processes are unnecessarily complex and expensive. Thus, improved processes are still needed in the art, and are provided by the present invention.